Ask Ollie
Paper Kwanzaa Kinara
Here's one to try together!
Build a seven-candle kinara from paper and add a glowing paper flame each night of Kwanzaa!
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- scissors require supervision for cutting
- use paper flames only, never light a real candle
What you need
- Paper, 1 long strip
- Paper, 1 sheet
- Paper, enough for 3 candles
- Paper, enough for 1 candle
- Paper, enough for 3 candles
- Paper, enough for 7 flames
- Paper tubes, 7 (optional)
- Glue stick, 1
- Kid scissors, 1 pair
- Painter's tape, 1 roll
- Crayons or markers, 1
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Gather colored paper, a brown strip, glue, tape and a marker. Use paper flames only and never light a real candle near this craft.
- Glue the brown strip across the bottom of your sheet.
- Make seven candles: three red, three green and one black.
- Glue red candles on the left, black in the middle, green on the right. Ask: Why do you think the black candle stands right in the middle?
- Cut out seven yellow flame shapes. Ask for help if you need it
- Write one principle on each candle. Ask for help if you need it
- On December 26, tape the first flame onto the black candle.
- Talk about tonight's principle and one way to live it today. Ask: What is one thing you could do tomorrow to show this idea?
- Add a new flame each evening until January 1! Who will you show it to? Ask: Which principle do you think will be your favorite to practice?
Play it again
- Flame match: mix up the flames, then find the right candle for each principle by its number.
- Principle detective: spot someone practicing today's principle and tell them at dinner.
- Kinara cards: make a mini kinara as a card to give to a friend or a grandparent.
Kids loved this? There are more where it came from.
Get 3 free ideas a dayTurn "I'm bored" into "let's do something together!" 3 free ideas a day, picked for your kids.